Oil trap and collector



Feb. 2, 1932.

Filed April 8. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 2, 1932.

| 'c. LATHROP 1,843,329

OIL TRAP AND COLLECTOR Filed April 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 I z 2 I fir Patented Feb. 2, 1932 LEWIS c. LATHROIE, or nousrom rnxAs i Q l 1 01in rnnrnnnconnncroa; e

Application fiIedQ AJpriL- S,

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an oil trap and collector,

One object of the invention is to provide 7 a device of the character described specially designed for the purpose oftrapping 0il,.or other refuse, float-ing on the surface of flowi-ng water. a a As is well known streams, orbodies of water, are often polluted by oil which collects from oil fields, oil refineries and other similar sources, and is discharged into said streams or bodies of water,-wi-th the result that the fish, oysters and the like are destroyed and the water is. rendered unfit for many uses. It is the primeobjectof this invention to trap said waste oil at or near its source and to prevent its migration. 'Another object of thei-nvention is to provide means for trapping'said migratory oil and collecting the same for useor destruction. L With the above and other objects in View this invention hasparticular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts an example of which is given "in this specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1' shows a front elevation of the device, partly in section.- r

'Figure.. shows view. p Figure 3 shows ia plan viewof the device showing the collector-associated therewith.

Figure l shows an elevational view thereof, and I Figure 5 shows across sectional on the line 5 f Figure 2. a

Referring now more particularlyto the drawings the numeral ldesignates a dam, of

view,taken 7 any suitable construction,- erected transversechannels 3, 3

1y of a stream andhaving a sluice way therethrough. On opposite sides of said sluice way the dam has, incorporated therein, the upright jambs,"2, 2 formed of channel irons extending from the bottom of the stream to the top of the dam. These irons have the facing each other and in which the respective anchors 4, 4 are vertically movable. There is a floating sluice gate 5 whose fluid tight joint.

a vertical cross sectional 1929. se ialiro. 353,541.

ends areattached to the respective anchors;

This gate 5 has one *or more floats as, 6, at tached thereto and the lower margins of said gate extend beneath the floats so as to beat all times" submerged in the water on which the floats ride. wardlyextending flexible strap 7 which rides against the downstream side of the correspending channel 3 and forms a fluid-tight joint therewith and the opposite {side of each anchor has the upper andl'ower outwardly curved pressure springs 8 which ride against the upstream side of "sand'channel thusoperating to hold the corresponding anchor and particularly the strap 7 thereof against the,

adjacent side of the channel to maintain said The upper ends of the yams 2, 2 are connected by a cross channel 9 Each anchor 4 has an outwhich is fitted thereover and is secured there- V T-he lower end of-t'hesluice way is enclosed afloat-chamber 10', preferably rectangular in horizontal-cross contour. This fioat chamber 'issecured toth e sidejams and inthis chamber there is a float 11 which'isretained therein by inwardlyprojecting stops 12 carriedbythe upper margins of the walls of said chamber. Thedownstream wall of the float chamber lO-extends'upabove the level of the 'upper-Inarginof the upstream wall thereof. The opposite ends of the float 11' have the up standingfunnel 'shaped guides 1-3,-

for a purpose tot-he hereinafter explained; I j l Under normal conditions the level of the water-flowing the stream will be above the float chamber 10 'and the floats :6 will ride the surface-while th'e lower margin of the heat- 'ing gate 5 will bebeneaththe surface ofth-e 'water1:so' that all oil on the surface of the water will lie-trapped or dammed-up an'dprevented fiomflowing on down stream and this accumulated oil may be, drawn off and disposed of in any desired manner. a In some streams of'watertheremay not be asuificient volume to normally sustain the ---floats 6, .or the volume ofiwater flowing in the stream mayuattimesidecrease until the flowing stream is very small and'in either of such cases the float chamber 10 will act as a dam and cause the w'ater'todam up above the float chamber until it begins to trickle over the higher or downstream wall of said float chamber. Under these conditions the floats 6 will rest upon the upper margin of the down stream wall of the float chamber and the lower margin of the sluice gate 5 will be submerged in the water dammed up above said downstream wall as shown in Figure 2. The dammed up water will flow over the upper margin of the upstream wall of the float chamber and underneath the lower margin of said gate and over the downstream wall of said chamber, but the oil floating on the water will be trapped and held above said gate.

The float 11 is provided so that when the sluice gate 5 is spaced above the float chamber as shown in Figure 1, it, the said float, will ward ofl' refuse and the like floating in the stream so that it cannot collect in and fill said float chamber. As the floats 6 and the gate 5 sustained thereby, are lowered with the surface of the stream, the depending rods v14, carried by the anchors 4 will engage in the guides 17 of the float 11 and force said float downwardly as shown in Figure 2.

The gate 5 will thus be in position at all times to intercept and trap the oil or other objectionable matter flowing on the stream, so that the same will be prevented from reaching and polluting the water below.

For the purpose of collectingthe oil which accumulates on the stream above the trap there is provided a funnel shaped collector indicated generally by the numeral 15.

This collector is substantially arcuate in horizontal cross sectional contour, with its down stream wall extending slightly above the upper margin of its upstream wall. Anchored to the ends of the collector are the magnets 18, 18. Leading from the bottom of the collector is a conducting tube, or pipe 19. When it is desired to remove the accumulated oil, the collector 15 may be submerged in the stream until the upper margin of the downstream wall is slightly above the level of the stream and with the magnets 18 lying against the corresponding jambs 2 and these magnets will hold the collector in position and at the same time permit a suitable adjustment thereof. The surface oil will now flow into the said collector and may be drawn of]? by means of .a suction pump or other suitable means for such purpose. Any other suitable means may be used for adjustably mounting the collector on, the jambs 2 in lieu of the magnets 18. When the accumulated oil has been drawn ofl the collector 15 may then be removed until again needed.

' A preferred form of the invention has been shown and described for the purpose of illustration while the broad principle ofthe invention will be defined by the scope of the appended claims.

W'ha-t I claim is r v The combination with a dam having a sluiceway therethrough to permit the flow of a stream of water through said dam, vertical channels, one on each side of said sluiceway, a vertically movable anchor in each channel, a gate spanning said sluiceway whose ends are atttached to said respective anchors, a float attached to said gate and eflective to maintain said gate partially submerged in said stream, a float chamber beneath said sluiceway, a float therein and forming a cover therefor. 1

2. The combination with a dam having a sluiceway therethrough to permit the flow of a streamof water through said dam, vertical channels, one on each side of said sluiceway, a vertically movable anchor in each channel, a gate spanning said sluiceway whose ends are attached to said respective anchors, a float attached to said gate and effective to maintain said gate partially submerged in said stream, a float chamber extending entirely across and beneath said sluiceway and having an upstream wall, and a down stream wall whose upper margin extends above the upper margin of the upstream wall.

The combination with a dam having a sluiceway therethrough to permit the flow of a stream of water through said dam, vertical channels, one on each side of said sluiceway, a vertically movable anchor in each channel, a gate spanning said sluiceway whose ends are attached to said respective anchors, a float attached to said gate and effective to maintain said gate partially submerged in said stream, a float chamber beneath said sluiceway, a float therein and forming a cover therefor, and spacing means depending from the respective anchors and engageable with the float in said chamber.

4. The combination with a dam for a flowing stream, said dam having a sluiceway therethrough, and being formed with transverse, spaced walls' forming a chamber beneath the sluiceway, a float in said chamber a vertically movable gate spanning the sluiceway. above said chamber, the down stream wall of said chamber being higher than the up stream wall thereof;

5. The combination with a dam for a flowing stream, said dam having a sluiceway, therethrough, and being formed with transverse, spaced walls forming a chamber beneath the sluiceway, a vertically movable gate spanning the sluiceway above said chamber, a float supporting said gate partially submerged in said stream, a float in said chamber, and means associated, and movable, with the gate andv engageable with the chamber float, as the gatemoves-downwardly, said means being eflective to maintain said chamber float spaced from said gate.

6. A device spanning a stream of flowing water and including vertically movable means for obstructing the surface flow to cause the accumulation of foreign matter floating on said stream, and a collector formed to collect and remove from the stream said accumulated matter, said collector being characterized by the provision of a funnel and a pipe leading oil from the bottom thereof.

7. The combination with a sluiceway, of a vertically movable ate spanning said sluiceway, a float attached to said gate and adapted to ride upon the stream of water flowing through the sluiceway and eflective to maintain said gate partially submerged in said stream, a funnel like collector associated with the gate and having a down stream wall extending above the upper margin of its up-' stream wall. Y 8. The combination with a dam having a sluiceway ther-ethrough to permit the flow of a stream of water through the dam, vertical tracks one on each side of the sluiceway, a vertically movable anchor associated with each track, a gate across the sluiceway Whose ends are attached to the respective anchors, a float attached to the gate to maintain gate" partly submerged in said stream, a chamber extending entirely across and beneath said sluiceway and having anupstream wall and a down stream wall Whose upper margin extends above the upper margin of the up-i stream wall, said gate being located betwee said walls. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LEWIS C. LATHROP. 

